My real interest in photography only started when I was given a Praktica SLR for my 21st birthday. I had asked for a camera as I was rowing competivley and wanted to takes some photos which only an slr could take.
At this time I was working as a computer programmer for Busness Computers Ltd and was based in Tottenham Court Rd. By chance opposite our front door was E C Kingsley a camera shop which had a good range of second hand cameras for sale. It was not long before I found the Practika had limitations when taking photos of rowing so a visit across the road one lunchtime saw me aquire my first Nikon F.
I soon started to process and print in black and white. I was a member of Kingston Rowing Club and another member had links to Rowing Magazine and the local papers and it was not long before I was getting shots of rowing published. I also started taking photos for other members businesses in my spare time.
Moving on I was getting tired of sitting behind a desk all day and through a chance coversation with one of BCL's customers I was offered a job as a photographer full time.
I spent two years with Sothern News Pictures in Croydon learning the ropes, they then relocated and I left to start on my own and set up Patrick White Photography working from home. My first clients all came from my rowing contacts and also my father in law who ran a commercial art studio.
All my clients came via personal contacts which is now called networking.
I progressed from B & W processing and printing to full colour negative and transparency processing and printing, and a range of formats from 35mm to 10 X 8 and printing up to 30" x 40"
While working professionally and wih family committments I did not have time to continue with the rowing photography other than at Henley Royal Regatta however now that I am retired I can return to photographing anything I fancy, I still get shots from Henley published each year.